Base-lock for horizontal sectional units.



R. G. BULLOCK.

BASE LOCK PoR HORIZONTAL SEGTIONAL UNITS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1910.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

WlTN ESSES INVENTOR R. G. BULLOGK.

BASE LOCK FOR HORIZONTAL SECTIONAL UNITS.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV.15, 1910.

R. G. BULLOCK. BASE LOOK FOR HORIZONTAL SEOTIONAL UNITS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1910. j ,ggqg Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

INVENTOR @TM/fg, @7E/frm( rra eraan sans l in RAYMOND G. BULLOCILOF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR TO ART METAL CON- STRUCTION COMPANY, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, .A CORPORATION F YORK.

rosette. Application led November vented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Locks Ifor Horizontal Sectional Units, lof whicli the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for locking drawers and is particularly adapted for use ,in horizontal units made of either wood or, metal, which units are capable of being stacked up in a vertical'series, similar to the so called well known Wernicke sectional book cases and filing cases.`

The invention also relates to the construction of such units in metal.

One object of my invention is to' construct a base sect-,ion having a locking and controlling mechanism therein. y l Another object of my invention is toconstruct intermediate horizontal. sections capable of-engaging with or being stacked up on said base sect-ion, said'horizontal sections cont-aiming drawers or other filing mechanism. Y

Another object of my invent-ion is to provide said horizontal sections with a lock-y `ing mechanism for said vdrawers to prevent the vopening thereof.

Another object of my invention is to make said horizontal sectionsv interchangeable 'with each other and with thebase section with which they are associated.

Another object of my invention is to make the locking mechanism of each section com-` plete within itself, a ,part of such locking mechanism interchangeably connecting, registering and interlocking with the locking mechanisms of other sections and with the base .sect-ion byl which it lmay be controlled'.

`Another object of-my invention is to construct t-he locking mechanism so as to permit'the `return of and the locking of individual drawers .without disturbing the remaining drawers or unlocking the locking mechanism as a whole.

Another object o f my invention is to cover the .verticall series with a topsection that will'close andconceal all thelocking mecha- Specication of Letters Patent.

BAsn-Locx roRvHoarzoN'raL sEc'rIoN'At. UNITS.

nism that is not concealed by the base and intermediate section.

Another objectof my invention is to enable t-he locking mechanism otthe base to operate and control all the locking mechanism of the series of sections above the base.

These and other objects ot myinvention will be fully described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, -Figure 1 is a perspective View ot the base and a series of horizontal units thereon, with the locking mechanism therefor constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 isa perspective 'detail view in skeleton torm of' the base lock and a port-ion of the locking mechanism of one of the horizont-al sections. Fig. l8 is a section on the line 3X-3"v of Fig. 5. Fig.

4 1s a section on the line 4*-4"` of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the rear right hand corner of one of the inter- `mediate sections, the location of the section being shown by the line .3x-3X'of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view of the interlocking shaft as it appears at the top of the intermediate Patent-.ea ang. 20,1912. i

15, 1910. Serial N0. 592,577.

section. Fig. 7 is a detail of the construction of the intermediate section showing the connection between the upright channel and the top'plate. F ig.8 is a perspective view of the part shown in Fig. 7 the top plate being omitted. l Fig.f9 is a perspective View of the upright channel with the horizontal channels and drawer supporting channels connected thereto. Figs.. 10 and l are detail views of the locking dogs. Fig. 12 is a perspective view 'of one of therear upright panels which supportsthe rocking shaft 27.

In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings reference numeral 1 indicates the base supported on four legs 2, -2 p which are connected to the angle irons 3,-

formingthe top of the base, and on which the intermediate section, 4 can' be placed. Mounted to slide in this 'base i's the lockingy rod 5 controlled by a lock 6. The lock 6 is operated by an ordinary key and has therein the bolt which engages with the recess 7 carried in the locking rod 5. At the front .the locking rod lpasses through an opening in the channel 3 and at the rear passes through a bracket 8 carried on the base. Mounted on the rod 5 is a collar 9 between which and the bracket 8 a spring 10 is compressed when the rod 5 is pushed in to locked y, position, and by which the rod 5 is thrown out when the key is turned in the lock 6 for the purpose of locking the rod 5. At the rear end the locking bar 5 is slotted as shown at .11, and with this slot engages the bell crank 12 pivoted on the base at 13. The other endof this bell crank lever engages with a connecting rod 14 which -in turn engages With a crank 1 5 mounted on the square shaft `16 at the rear right hand corner of the base section.

By the reciprocation of the bar 5 the shaft 16 is oscillated through the train of mechanism above described. The shaft 16 carries at its upper end the socket 17 which socket projects slightly above the base section. Mounted at the right hand rear cor- .ner lof the intermediate section 4: is the Asquare shaft 18 which shaft 18 at its lower end is provided With'a square tongue 19 capable of engaging with the socket 17 on the lshaft 16, so that the rotation of the shaft 16 is imparted thereby to the shaft 18. The shaft 18 likewise carries at its upper `end a socket 2O similar to that shown on the upper end of the shaft 16, with which `in turn engages the tongue carried on the lower end of the square shaft of the intermediate section next above it. The shaft 18 is mounted to rotate in a bracket..2 1 supported on the intermediate section near its upper end and in the washer 22 which rests upon one of the horizontal members of the intermediate section near its lower end. A pin 23 is provided through the square shaft 18 which rests on the shoulder 22. `At suitable intervals are mounted on the shaft 18 the cranks 24 having tongues `25 thereon. lhese tongues engageJ with the plates 26 keyed 'to the square shafts 27 with which they oscillate. Each of the plates 26 is provided with a segmental slot 28 inwhich the tongue 25 is free to oscillate a limited amount with- .out rocking the plate 26 on the shaft '27.-

This. permits each of the shafts 27 to have a limited motion on its own account without disturbing the position'of the shaft 18 or the, other shafts 27 connected therewith, the purpose for which will be described presently. One of* these shafts 27 is provided v for each horizontal series of drawers or filing devices of the unit. In Fig.I 1 I have| indicated in the intermediate sect-ion nine" drawers arranged in threeA parallel horizontal lines and-in three vertical columns. One of t-hese shafts 27 is provided for eachv of these three horizontal rows of drawers, one shaft serving to lock three drawers.`

The rear end of one of thesedrawers 29 is shown' in outline in Fig. 2. Each of the drawers has a rectangular opening 30 cut in the back and bottom thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, across which opening is placed the tie rod 31. On the shaft 27 immediately opposite the opening in each of the drawers arel placed the locking dogs 32 and 33. These dogs are alike in outline except that the dog 32 has a square hole with which it is keyed to the shaft 27, and the dog 33 has a. pent-agonal hole through which the shaft 27 passes, by means of which it has allimited rocking motion on the shaft independent thereof. The object of these dogs I am now about to describe.

When, the locking bar 5has been placed in locking position the dogs 32 and 33 will' When the drawer is passes the tip end .34 of the dog. When it has gone this far the dog will .snap down into engagement with the tie rod, being impelled thereto by the operation of thespring i 37 on the plate 26 and shaft 27 on which said dog is mounted. One end o-f the spring 37 is connected to the plate 26 and the other end thereof is connected to the frame of the intermediate section. A similar spring`37 is connected on. the free end of the plate 26 by which the shafts 27 are held each to their locking position,`when the bar 5 is inthe position shown in Fig. 2. Vhile all 'of the dogs 32 are being lifted and the shaft 27 which carries them is being rocked b v the insertion of the drawer, the dogs 33 which are in'engagement with the drawers that are already in locked position, are not lifted but remain in engagement with the tie rods 31, holding the drawers controlled thereby securely in locked position. This is due to the lost motion between such dogs 33 and -the' shaft- 27v as labove described. Otherwise the insertion of a drawer would at a certain point temporarily unlock all of the drawers in the same horizontal line therewith, due to the rocking of the shaft 27 and the lifting of the dogs carriedthereby. It will be seen that the rocking of the shaft 27 sufficient to lift the dogs 32 clear of the tie rods V.31 is not sufficient to disturb the position of the dogs 33, which dogs remain in engagement with their respective drawers.

The construction of the intermediate seetion in which the locking arrangement above described is carried will now be described. The intermediate section is built upon the bottom plate 40, theouter edges of which Leonesa are 'bent' down and to term the channel 42. Aft suitable points the plate 49 is perorated and through these perform-ions pass the reduced ends of the upright channel 41. The upright channels 41 are bent of -a single sla-eet ot metal to the shape shown in cross section in Figs. 8 and 9, 'having xlugs or i lreduced ends at the npper -andlower ends lrations in said reduced ends.

thereof.

er and shoulder. The lu loweryend ci the channel forms a 43 pass through the plate' 40 and the oulder 44 'rests lagainst v it. 'llhe channe'ls are locked to the plate 40 by bending over the lugs 43 which are split for this purpose, one s to the rightand lthe other side to the left. lf desired of course the lu might be left 4whole and perforated, in which case it could be fastened tol the bottom plate by a tie rod similar to :that yused at the top. At t'he top of the section is placed 'the plate 46,

ends 47 of the upright channel 41 pass,

which channels are 'locked to said pla-te by i the rod 48 passing through suitable perion the sides on the upright channels 41 are suitable perorat-ions through which extend tongues 49 struck u on the supporting channelsv 5'0 by which tongues 49 pass through the channel 41 and a series of them are locked into engagement with said channel by the rod 51.

The horizontal channels 52 are also provided with reduced ends 53 which pass through similar perforations in the channel 41, which reduced vends 53 yare in the same vertical co1- umn of the lugs 49 on the channel 50, so that the same locking rod 51 passes through perforations in both the lugs 49 and the re'- duced ends 53, holding all of these parts, the supporting channel and the horizontal channel 52, rigidly to the upright channel 41. The upright and horlzontal channels at .the rear of the intermediate section are formed in the same manner and are connected together and with the supporting channels in the same manner as they are connected at lthe front, as heretofore described. The upright channels at the .corners of the section are constructed similar to the channels 41 heretofore described.

As will be noticed inpFig. 9, the sides of the channel 41 are converged, forming a ridge on each side thereof aga-'inst which the ends of the supporting channel 50 and the lshoulders of the channels '52 bear, thus increasing the rigidity of the structure.

As indicated by vFlgs. 1 and .9, each section is made up of a top plate 46 'and a bottom .plate 40 .connected by ei ht u right channels 41, four of which c anne s are laced at the front and four .at the back. ach pair of outside upright channels 41 tet the side of these lugs the np de of which is bent e drawers are. supported. rl'hese' is connected by three ,supporting channels 50, while veach of the intermediate pairs .of upright channels 41 is connected by six .of the supporting channels `50.' The .consecutiefe channels in, iront and back are .connected together by v.two of :the :channels 52, or 4cross rails. In ythis .manner all memhers et .the intemned-iate section are securely' tied together and form ya llight structure of great strength and rigidity.

As shown in Fig. 7, the 'bottom of each of the 'intermediate sections is provided with die angled? which makes adepending dange that eneircles the top of the intermediate section 'below or :the top loit the base section, and each loit -the intermediate sections at the top is .provided with a recess 'inrto which said @ange or angle 67 nests, .engaging therewith and thus locking the tw@ sections together on all sides. y

Rcs shown in Fig. 1-2, the rock .shafts 27 p ass through the rear upright channels .of the section. The channels are `perforated with pentagonal holes 60, such as that show-n at 'the top of Fig. .-4, in which the 'rook shafts 27 can Afreely oscillate.

1t will be seen tion that I have provided a series of 'filing devices made up of horizontal sections, with a sui-table base and top therefor, together with a locking mechanism for each section self-contained and vcontrolled by the operating Amechanism of thevibase, the sections with their locking 4meclfxan-ism being interchangeable `with each other. lt will also be seen that Ithe ser-ies is readily assembled and taken apart, the parts normally going together by simply stacking the .intermediate sections on top ot `each other and on the base, coverin the -whole series bythe top section. As t e parts are made to gage|the sections with thea-locking mechanism will go together so that the lone base lock controls the whole.

dt will be `obvious that 'the Ilocking or conframe work, drawers and rocking shafts supported'thereby, dogs on said lrock shafts engagin with-said drawers to lock them, an indepen ent rocking shaft common yto all of aforesaid rocking shafts and enga 'ng vherewith rocking position, said rock shaft extending transversely to vsaid shafts and parallel tol the series thereof.

2. In a case, the combination of a frame -work, rawers and rockshafts vsupfrom the foregoing descripto osclllate them to and .y om' i plurality of drawers therein, means for lockdependent rock shaft.

Aoscillating shaft in each section connected to thereof, said oscillating shaft extending ported thereby, dogs on said rock shafts engaging with said drawers to lock them, an independentrock shaft common to all of aforesaid rocking shafts and engaging therewith to osclllate them to and from rocking position, a lloose engagement be-v tween each of said lirst named rock shafts and the independent frock shaft permitting independent movement of any one of the first named rock shafts without moving the in- 3. The combination in a ling case of drawers mounted to slide therein, rock shafts mounted to oscillate in the vicinity of said drawers, dogs on said rock shafts engaging said drawers to lock said drawers, an operating shaft for said\rock shafts extending transversely theretoand loosely engaging said rock shafts, means for oscillat# ing said operating shaft to rock said rock shafts and cause the locking or unlocking of said drawers.

l. The combination in a system of horizontal units of a base section having yan operating and locking device, intermediate sections having drawers or filing devices therein, rock shafts supported adjacent to said drawers or filing devices, dogs on said rock shafts for engaging with said drawers, an

said lrock shafts to compel the operation transversely to said shafts and parallel to the series thereof, means for connecting said oscillating shafts of the intermediate sections together for simultaneous movement, means connecting saidroscillating shafts to the operating and locking device of the base section for operation thereby.

5. The combination of a seriesof drawer sections, locking mechanism in eachv drawer section for locking the drawersthereof, said locking mechanism comprising a series of rock shafts, an oscillating shaft in each section for driving said rock shafts, couplings between the oscillating shafts of consecutive sections for causing said shafts to move inv unison, lsaid oscillating shaft extending transversely to said shafts and parallel to the series thereof.

6. The combination in a filing case of a ing said drawerscollectively and individually, means permitting the independent locking of a single drawer without releasino drawers that have previously been locke said means comprising a series of horizontal rock shafts having locking dogs thereon, an

upright rock shaft connected to said horizontal shafts in such manner as to oscillate them and permit a limited oscillation of any of them.

7. The combination in a ling device vof a series of. drawers and a square rock shaft adshafts, permitting said rst named rock shaft to rock far enough to disengage 011e set of dogs from the filing devices controlled thereby, leaving the other set of dogs in engagement with said filing devices without disturbing the position of the second rock shaft.

8. The combination in a filing case of drawers arranged in a horizontal row, a rock shaft adjacent thereto, two dogs mounted on said rock shaft yfor each ofA said drawers, both of said dogs engaging with their particular drawer to lock 'said drawer, one of said dogs being rigidly mounted on said shaft and the otherv dog being loosely mounted thereon, an upright rock shaftloosely engaged with said horizontal rock shaft, said horizont-al rock shaft being ca pable of oscillating far enough to lift the dogs rigidly mounted thereon out of engagement with their respective drawers without disturbing the upright rock shaft and without disengaging the dogs loosely mounted thereon from the drawers with which they are in engagement.

9. The combination in a filing case, of a plurality of drawers mounted therein, a rock shaft adjacent thereto, two dogs mounted on said rock shaft for each of said drawers, one of said dogs being closely keyed to said shaft 'and the other of said dogs being ioo loosely keyed to said shaft, said shaft being capable of rocking so as todisengage the dogs tightly keyed thereon from their respect-ive drawers, leaving the dogs loosely lkeyed ythereon in engagement with their drawers.

10. The combination in a filing case, of a plurality of drawers mounted therein in a row, a. rock shaft adjacent thereto, two dogs mounted on said rock shaft for each-of said draw-ers and capable of engaging with ,the drawers to lockl then, said drawers being capable oflifting said dogs on being re.- turned to position and being locked'thereby, said parts being so arranged that upon the insertion of `a drawer the dogs for locking said drawer will be moved with a rock shaft, but at least one of the -.dogs for each of ythe remainingdrawers in the row! will remain fin locked engagement with i-ts drawer.

11. rlhe combination in a filing case, of a plurality of drawers mounted therein in a row, a rock shaft adjacent thereto, .two dogs mounted on said rock shaft for each of said drawers and capable of engaging with, the drawers to lock them, said drawers being capable of lift-ing said dogs on being returned to position and being locked thereby, said parts bein, so arranged thatupon the insertion of a di" said 'drawer will be moved with the rock shaft, but at least one of the dogs for each of theremaining drawers in the row will remain in locked engagement. with its drawer, a spring for normally holding said rook shaft in position to secure engagement between said dogs and their drawers.

12, 'll`hecombination in a ltiling 'oase ot a drawer, a locking device adjacent thereto, said locking device :including two dogs both of which are capable of engaging with said drawer, a common means for operating said dogs, said means operating to lift one of said clogs out of engagement with the drawer before moving' the other dog.

. 13.' The combination in a tiling case of a drawer, a locking device adjacent thereto, said locking device including two dogs both of which are capable of engaging with said awer the dogs for locking drawer, a rock shaft for operating said dogs, said shaft operating to litt onevof said dogs out of engagement with the drawer before moving theother dog.

14. The combination in a tiling case of a drawer, a locking device adjacent thereto, said locking device including two dogs both ot which. are capable of engaging with said drawer, an angular hole in each of said dogs, the hole in one being` considerably larger than the other, a rock shaft passing through said holes and makii-.g a close fit with the dog having the small hole and a loose it with the dog having the large hole, said shaft operating to litt said dogs successively out ot engagement with 'said drawer.

ln testimony whereoi2 I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDK. M. STEVENS, E. F, GILBERT. 

